Influence-peddling always works better when you have something to sell.

For most of the past dozen years, the New Democrats haven’t had much to offer. They have been in opposition with little prospect of returning to government. Unions supported the party but corporations supported the Liberals. In 2011, for example, the NDP received about $230,000 from corporations and the Liberals pulled in about $4.95 million, more than 20 times as much.

In the 2009 election, the NDP platform with then-leader Carole James included a promise to outlaw corporate and union donations to political parties. NDP leader Adrian Dix has also supported such a ban in the past.

The policy is a natural reaction to the notion that money buys influence. A decade ago, then-NDP leader Joy MacPhail put it this way in reaction to a fundraising campaign that invited public relations firms to pony up $10,000 each to cement their relations with the Liberal government.

“You will be viewed with greater favour in terms of access to government work if you donate a minimum of $10,000 to the party,” she explained.

The letter from Liberal fundraisers Patrick Kinsella and Erin Airton pitching the event, which was subsequently cancelled, tried to make a distinction between access and influence. “This isn’t about access; we all have access. However, it is a way that we can demonstrate our support, get some undivided attention, and build strong relationships with the government.“

And this in 2003 from Dix, who was then writing a column for the Victoria Times Colonist.

“It is the iron law of corporate political fundraising – those who benefit most from a particular government’s action ‘invest’ the most in party donations, particularly for the governing party. In short, the public has good reason to be cynical about the purpose of such donations, in all jurisdictions.”

And nowhere more so than B.C., Dix concluded, where “a ban on corporate and union donation is needed most.”

That was then. On Wednesday night, Dix hosted at an invitation-only fundraiser that focused on the resources industry. Individual tickets were $2,500. For $10,000, companies could get five tickets to the reception and one person could stay on for a private dinner with Dix and some of his shadow cabinet.

NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston, considered by many to be a likely candidate to be finance minister if the polls hold up through the next election, denied that the fundraiser was selling access to Dix and other senior New Democrats.

He points out that he and Dix have been meeting regularly with business leaders, industry organizations and others over the past year.

“He’s been out there and there’s been no requirement that people attend a fundraiser in order to get a meeting with any one of our people,” Ralston said in an interview.

Ralston says the question of whether the NDP will include a promise to ban corporate and union donations as part of its platform for the May provincial election is under “active consideration.”

Meanwhile, however, the law allows such donations and whatever ethical concerns they may have had in the past aren’t holding them back now.

Anyhow, the Liberals are still raising “dramatically more” from business than the NDP, says Ralston, but that’s changing.

“Our numbers are coming up quickly just because there’s a sense, I think, that, you know, the momentum is shifting and business wants to acknowledge the fact that we’re in a position where we may win the next election.”

If the NDP does win the next election, it will be crucial for the economic well-being of the province for Dix to be able to communicate with the business community. It’s also true that Dix and other New Democrats have been working hard to establish lines of communication with an audience that traditionally has been fairly hostile.

But the message that comes through from fundraisers that promise access to politicians in return for financial support is that there are benefits, no matter how intangible, to being a financial supporter of the governing party.

Again, quoting Dix on the benefits of a ban on corporate and union donations, “the party would be forced to reach out beyond its special interests to a broader constituency and become a more representative and successful government.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Share

Craig McInnes: NDP cashing in on new-found status

Video

Best of Postmedia

Millennials, amirite? They’re nothing but Instagram-happy, emoji-LOL-ing, mannequin-challenging navelgazers. Or so the theory goes. How can they put their pants on one leg at a time, like everyone else, when they’re sausaged into skinny jeans? Yet when it comes to […]

“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, ‘Come and see.’ And I saw, and behold a white elephant, and he that sat upon him had a crown, which he wore atop his fiery hair, and […]

An Ottawa judge has thrown out a romance fraud case that has taken more than four years to go to trial, ruling that the excessive delay has robbed the accused man of his right to a fair trial. Ontario Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips on Friday stayed the case against Kevin Bishop of Ottawa, who had […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.